insect

CEFRA2

/ˈɪn.sɛkt/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A small animal with six legs and usually wings.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Any small, creeping, crawling, or slithering animal, excluding mammals, birds, and fish.

Examples

  • They are nature's laboratory for all kinds of plant, animal and insect life.

  • What do you call this insect in English?

At a glance

Sits at A2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3
Synonyms
1

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. An arthropod (in the Insecta class) characterized by six legs, up to four wings, and a chitinous exoskeleton.

  2. A contemptible or powerless person.

  3. An arthropod or invertebrate.

More examples

In context

  • Our shed has several insect infestations, including ants, yellowjackets, and wasps.

  • The manager’s assistant was the worst sort of insect.

  • Ambroſe Parey has a picture of the ſalamander, with a receipt for her bite; but there is no ſuch creature, the name being now given to a poor harmleſs inſect.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The tiny blank with six legs and wings flew into the classroom through the open window.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

Borrowed from Middle French insecte, from Latin īnsectum, from īnsectus (“cut into, cut up, with a notched or divided body”), from perfect passive participle of īnsecō (“to cut into, to cut up”), from in- + secō (“to cut”), from the notion that the insect's body is "cut into" three sections (head, thorax, abdomen). Calque of Ancient Greek ἔντομον (éntomon, “insect”), from ἔντομος (éntomos, “cut into pieces”).